Understand Smart Home Matter Support
You can connect your smart home device directly to Alexa with the Matter connectivity protocol. Matter is a local IPv6 wireless connectivity technology designed to enable interoperability between devices made by different manufacturers. With Matter, smart home devices can connect to Alexa without a separate hub or smart home skill. Also, you can add another connection to Alexa from your skill-enabled devices with Matter.
With Matter, Alexa can control your device locally, which can reduce latency and improve reliability. For more details about Matter, see Matter.
Matter-enabled Amazon Echo devices have built-in software to connect and control Matter smart home devices seamlessly. After a customer sets up an Echo, they can connect their devices by saying, "Alexa, discover my devices", or by adding the device in the Alexa app. The Echo device acts as a Matter administrator to discover and connect Matter devices to Alexa locally.
Connection options
Alexa supports the following connection options for Matter devices:
- You can connect your device directly to Alexa with Matter over Wi-Fi or Matter over Thread. As part of the discovery and commissioning stage, your Matter device uses Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) to pass the credentials of the Wi-Fi or Thread network to Alexa.
- You can connect Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) devices to Alexa with the ACK SDK for Matter. The SDK supports Matter over Wi-Fi. For more details, see Introducing ACK SDK for Matter.
- You can add another connection to Alexa from your skill-connected devices with Matter. This option enables Alexa to control your device locally during Internet outages or when your skill isn't available.
- You can use the Matter Multi-Admin feature to connect your device to multiple smart home platforms, including Alexa.
These connection options apply to native Matter devices that connect directly to the Matter fabric and non-Matter devices exposed as bridged devices through a Matter bridge.
Specifications
As of June 2024, Matter-enabled Echo devices support the Matter 1.2 protocol, defined by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), including a subset of Matter 1.2 device types. Echo devices support Matter over Wi-Fi and Matter over Thread. For details, see the Matter 1.2 specifications.
Thread is an IPv6 wireless-mesh-networking technology designed for security, reliability, and scalability. The IP-based open-standard mesh network broadens network coverage to keep smart home devices working even if one device goes offline. Thread-enabled Amazon Echo and eero devices act as border routers to provision and secure Thread networks.
Alexa-enabled device support for Matter
The following Amazon Echo and eero devices support Matter:
The following Amazon Echo and eero devices have Thread border routers built-in:
Supported device categories and clusters
Alexa supports many device types from the following Matter device categories: Matter hubs, lighting and smart plugs, sensors, closure (door locks, window coverings), thermostats, and fans. For details about devices in these categories, see Matter Device Library Specification, Version 1.2.
Matter-enabled Echo and eero devices support Matter clusters in the following device categories. For details about clusters, see Matter Application Cluster Specification, Version 1.2.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the HVAC category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thermostat |
Set temperature, query current temperature |
Thermostat |
|
|
Fan |
Control the speed of a fan |
Fan Control |
Closure
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the closure category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Door lock |
Set lock, unlock |
Door Lock | |
|
Window Covering, such as exterior and interior blinds |
Open and close blinds |
Window Covering |
Lighting, smart plugs, and outlets
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the lighting and smart plugs/outlets categories. These clusters provide essential functionality for controlling lighting devices, including turning the device on and off, adjusting the brightness levels, and managing color settings, if applicable.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dimmer |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Dimming plug |
Control the power level of the device |
Level Control | |
|
Dimming light |
Control device settings with a minimum and maximum range |
Level Control | |
|
Lamp |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Lamp |
Control the mode settings of the device |
Mode Select | |
|
Lamp |
Control the brightness of the device |
Level Control | |
|
Light bulbs |
Activate or deactivate multiple smart home devices that are grouped together into a scene |
On/Off | |
|
Light bulb with enhanced color control |
Change the color (hue, saturation, brightness) of the device |
Color Control | |
|
Light strip |
Change the color temperature (shade of white) |
Color Control | |
|
Power strip |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Power strip |
Toggle one and off settings of the device |
On/Off |
Sensors
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the sensors category: contact sensor, humidity sensor, light sensor, occupancy sensor, temperature sensor.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter clusters | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Contact sensor |
Detect and report contact |
Identify, Boolean State | |
|
Light sensor |
Detect and report the amount of light in an area |
Illuminance Measurement |
— |
|
Motion detector |
Detect and report motion |
Occupancy Sensing | |
|
Humidity sensor |
Detect and report humidity |
Relative Humidity Measurement |
— |
|
Temperature sensor |
Detect and report temperature |
Temperature Measurement |
Get started with Matter
To get started with Matter, your product must be in one of the Alexa-supported device categories and implement the Matter 1.2 or less specification. In addition, your product must implement required Matter clusters for your device category. For details, see Supported device categories and cluster types.
Test your Matter integration with a Matter-enabled Echo or eero device. Verify that Alexa can discover and control your device over the local Wi-Fi or Thread network. To test with a local Thread network, you need a Thread-enabled Echo or eero device.
Obtain the Works with Alexa badge
Works with Alexa (WWA) is a certification program that establishes your product's compatibility with Alexa. This certification makes sure that your customers have a better smart home experience. For details about the WWA program, see Works with Alexa Overview.
Before you apply for WWA certification for your Matter device, your product must implement the Matter clusters for your device category. When you register for WWA certification, select the Alexa capability interfaces that correspond to these clusters as a supported capability. Also, if your product supports any of the optional features and implements the associated Matter clusters, specify the corresponding Alexa capability interfaces when you register your product. For details, see Supported device categories and clusters. In addition, make sure that your Matter-enabled device meets the Matter requirements for WWA certification.
After you have thoroughly tested your product with the Echo or eero device, you can submit your product for WWA certification. For details, see Apply for Works with Alexa Certification.
Related topics
- WWA Certification Requirements
- Understand Smart Home Bluetooth® Mesh Support
- Understand Smart Home Zigbee Support
Last updated: Jul 08, 2024